Nioh 2

 PlayStation 4
User Score
8.0

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1157 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 873 out of 1157
  2. Mixed: 140 out of 1157
  3. Negative: 144 out of 1157
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Samheis
    Mar 29, 2020
    4
    Lowered my score to a 4 after playing through NG+. The game just gets worse the more you play. The flaws are numerous and in your face.

    I was really hopeful for Nioh 2. Nioh 1 was a solid, if messy game. The bones were there for something special, something that could rise up and give us a truly worthy souls-like that didn't come from... uh... From. Instead, Nioh 2 is pretty much more    Lowered my score to a 4 after playing through NG+. The game just gets worse the more you play. The flaws are numerous and in your face.

    I was really hopeful for Nioh 2. Nioh 1 was a solid, if messy game. The bones were there for something special, something that could rise up and give us a truly worthy souls-like that didn't come from... uh... From. Instead, Nioh 2 is pretty much more of the same, with some baffling inclusions that make it a generally frustrating experience (and not the good kind).

    First off: if anyone says this is better than Sekiro, go ahead and mentally file them away as unfit for gaming in general. Nioh 2 is inferior to Sekiro in nearly every meaningful way (unless you really, really have a thing for picking up loot you'll never use). Just figured I'd add that because I see people comparing the two, and there is no comparison. Sekiro is a much better game.

    So let's run down the list:

    Pros:

    -Graphics are fantastic.
    -There's a lot of level-up options.
    -Lots and lots of gear, I guess?
    -Story is a bit more interesting than Nioh 1.
    -The addition of random summons is... nice? Or would be, if the AI wasn't running on a playstation 1 processor
    -Some of the combat additions are good, like the burst counter and yokai shifts. They don't add a whole lot, when it comes down to it, but it is an improvement.
    -Levels, while often re-used, are much more enjoyable to look at. No more running across a dark, dingy coast for the 80th time. Now you get to explore beautiful vistas... for the 80th time.
    -Framerate is smooth, which is an accomplishment for how good the game looks.
    -The weapon/armor variation is very neat. Note, I'm not talking about how useful that is (that's a con) but how it looks visually. These guys are top notch artists.

    Cons:
    -Bosses suck. No, I don't mean bosses are hard, I mean they suck. There's almost no effort to them. They all boil down to roughly the same tactic (with a few gimick fights here and there): wait, wait, wait, slash, wait, wait, counter, wait, wait, break guard and go ham, repeat. The likely reason for that comes from the next con...
    - Combat feels like it's a decade old. Maybe it's the fact that I just recently finished playing Sekiro again (I don't think it is, as I just recently played Nioh 1 as well), but everything feels like it's moving at a glacial pace, including the response of your buttons. Want to block that attack coming in? I hope you hit the button well in advance, because the game needs to think about it for a bit. Remember hitboxes that extend out too far? Nioh 2 does! It's just so sub-par after Sekiro. And look, I get it, it's not Sekiro, Team Ninja never said it was, but Nioh 2 is inferior in essentially every aspect of combat and it does not feel nearly as satisfying to play.
    -Difficulty is... fake. The game can be difficult, it's true, but that really only lasts so long as you're trying to play aggressive. As soon as you start waiting out attacks and playing defensively, the game loses all challenge. Enemies never force you (which, I mean, they probably can't, due to the combat limitations), and they start to feel more like a chore than any sort of joy to fight. There's a spike when you reach an area with higher level enemies, but it quickly levels off. Bosses are never really hard, because almost none of them require you to learn any new skills, just keep repeating the strategy you've always used and you'll win.
    - Summoning ai sounds like a good idea in theory. It's hilariously bad in practice. No, seriously, I think i've died more often because my AI companion decided to get in my way or block my camera than I have to actual enemies.
    - Speaking of: how on earth do we still have this camera? Even Sekiro had the decency to finally give us a better (albeit, still iffy) camera than past souls offerings. This camera is sooooooooo bad. I cannot believe this was anything other than intentional to artificially increase difficulty, because it's amateurish.
    - FYI, Team Ninja, quantity does not equal quality. Picking up a hundred swords doesn't mean anything if 99 of them are useless to me. It's just early Diablo 3 syndrome all over. Deconstructing items isn't fun, folks. That's not a gameplay mechanic anyone should be jumping over. The skill trees fall into this trap as well, though to a lesser extent. I'm not sure why people are praising it as amazing. It's literally the same kind of skill tree as Nioh 1, but in a different UI. It's not a leap forward, it's a leap sideways.

    All in all, I don't recommend spending 60 bucks on this unless you're just dying for something to do while we're all stuck inside. I am regretting my purchase, not because it's some monumental challenge that I just can't beat (I can, did, and probably will one more time before I shelve it), but because it just doesn't live up to expectations. Sekiro happened, people. Like it or not, that's the standard now, and Nioh 2 doesn't even come close.    … Expand
  2. Steyraus
    Mar 13, 2020
    4
    Ive been playing "Hard"/Challenging games since the 80s. Ive even beaten all the Ninja gaiden games by the same guys that made Nioh, all the souls game etc etc. I dont say this to brag, but to give a bit of relevance to my statement that, the Nioh games are unfair and unbalanced. Nioh 1 the third boss was the first boss that I played a tried a few times then just stopped, I could see howIve been playing "Hard"/Challenging games since the 80s. Ive even beaten all the Ninja gaiden games by the same guys that made Nioh, all the souls game etc etc. I dont say this to brag, but to give a bit of relevance to my statement that, the Nioh games are unfair and unbalanced. Nioh 1 the third boss was the first boss that I played a tried a few times then just stopped, I could see how BS it was and really couldn't muster the effort to try. A good challenging game will have you dying alot, but every time you die you learn something new and can adapt. Good bosses have a weakness to balance their strength eg, If they have a ton of health, they can be slow, or have weak points. If they are insanely fast there's useuall a trap move or AOE attack in your arsenal. Many of nioh bosses have no weakness, they have high health, high armor , do massive damage and have completely random attack patterns. Meaning the only way to beat them is to beat you head against the wall until after ages you have their movements and attacks burned into your memory, and the rest is luck, hopefully you will guess the right attack they will be about to do before you act, and hopefully your luck lasts the entire fight.
    There is many other issues I have with the Nioh game including an bland areas and stupid amount of time you have to spend in each area, to the painful grind.
    Unlike the Souls game where every death is a lesson , in Nioh every death feel like unlucky RNG. And the payoff for the time spent getting through a hard place is just more grinding. No beastly weapon, no massive bump in XP just another small area to go to.
    The game dose run at 60 fps and is great on a technical level, but everything else is the same as the first game with more irritation.    … Expand
  3. Zerfyx
    Mar 13, 2020
    3
    This game is the dark souls 2 of nioh. It follows up a great game with a subpar one. As someone with over 5 k hours in soulsbourne, i have to say that this is by far the hardest game in the genre I've played. You hit like a wet tissue while getting one shot by close to everything. It takes well over 2 full stamina bars to kill a basic bandit, not to even mention the yokai. Maybe I'm justThis game is the dark souls 2 of nioh. It follows up a great game with a subpar one. As someone with over 5 k hours in soulsbourne, i have to say that this is by far the hardest game in the genre I've played. You hit like a wet tissue while getting one shot by close to everything. It takes well over 2 full stamina bars to kill a basic bandit, not to even mention the yokai. Maybe I'm just not good at the game, despite beating nioh on way of nioh multiple times, but i can't figure out this game. The new skill tree is worse than the first one, doing nothing but make it seem fladhy while giving you less info.
    Yokai shift is just a worse version of living weapon and with it's lackluster customization (just the yokai form itself, not the yokai skills) things will be even more cookie cutter than before. Who thought it was a good idea to give every weapon in the game the same moveset? In short, the game's a mess, eorsecthan nioh 1 in ordtty much every way.    … Expand
  4. mrvertigo89
    Oct 3, 2020
    3
    Just too much going on, I really enjoyed Nioh as my favourite Souls-like game outside of the Soulsborne series. Really suffers from feature bloat to the point the core game mechanics are much less fun.
  5. Legend3994
    Aug 14, 2020
    4
    Giving this game half of what it would be if it didn't give you half the HP that you should have for it to be enjoyable. Want to survive more than 1 hit? Spend dozens of hours leveling up 20 beyond the chapter. Meticulously maintain different armor sets and soul match them. It's probably easiest to instead just repeat a mission with a gem of inspiration to cheese living weapon while yourGiving this game half of what it would be if it didn't give you half the HP that you should have for it to be enjoyable. Want to survive more than 1 hit? Spend dozens of hours leveling up 20 beyond the chapter. Meticulously maintain different armor sets and soul match them. It's probably easiest to instead just repeat a mission with a gem of inspiration to cheese living weapon while your benevolent spirit is a human meat shield. I may play again on PC if there's still COVID-19 and I'm bored and can use cheat engine to correct the player stats. See other reviews between 0 and 5 stars for more eloquent explanations, but this game is hot garbage. I get more reward doing chores.… Expand
  6. Bonfera
    Apr 18, 2020
    0
    Unbalanced.... just unbalanced. Im a huge fan of the souls series and this can never be related to any from software game. Played the 1st one and was ok. Nioh 2 is just unfair and unbalanced. A Gaki hits you harder than any boss in the game. 2hit KO or even 1 hit KO is not by any means whats supposed to be hard. Go learn something with myiazaki
  7. Alvo
    Aug 25, 2020
    3
    I just couldn’t get into this game. They kind of throw you into the deep end and there is minimal direction for why you’re doing things. Overall just too complicated.
  8. SlanderPander
    Aug 17, 2020
    2
    I've been putting a lot of time in to the soulsborne type games again, and thought i might as well give nioh 2 the chance since i did play the first one and really enjoy it...
    now on that note lets get down to where this game lacks.... (no i wont be talking about the good parts cause they are so outweighed by the bad parts) now i don;t know how launch was but the newest update has made    I've been putting a lot of time in to the soulsborne type games again, and thought i might as well give nioh 2 the chance since i did play the first one and really enjoy it...
    now on that note lets get down to where this game lacks.... (no i wont be talking about the good parts cause they are so outweighed by the bad parts) now i don;t know how launch was but the newest update has made timing off, (Trust me i did a no death run in a few of these) This is lack luster When the combat, if it is all about timing you cannot mess it up which Team-Ninja did, from the time you press an attack or dodge it seems to only happen 1.5 seconds later this game is TRASH IMO.    … Expand
  9. Felix15
    Apr 18, 2020
    0
    Very unbalanced, everything just more, no good battle system. Please just harder doesnt makes a soul game 3 ....
  10. dyeah
    Mar 22, 2020
    2
    Painfully Overrated. Worst souls-like I have ever played.

    Start with Dark Souls and Sekiro, take away all the fun, elegant gameplay mechanics, and responsive controls. What's you are left with is the tedious uninspired gameplay that is Nioh 2. Positives: Good Graphics +Interesting World +Sometime fun to play, in the rare instance that it is not being cheap, confusing and    Painfully Overrated. Worst souls-like I have ever played.

    Start with Dark Souls and Sekiro, take away all the fun, elegant gameplay mechanics, and responsive controls. What's you are left with is the tedious uninspired gameplay that is Nioh 2.

    Positives:
    Good Graphics
    +Interesting World
    +Sometime fun to play, in the rare instance that it is not being cheap, confusing and tedious.

    Negatives:
    -Inputs occasionally don't register and will get you killed. How is this not a widely discussed issue?!?!?!?
    -Overly complicated gear and upgrade system
    -Obtuse controls
    -Tedious boss fights with huge health pools and damage that drag on way too long, wasting the players time. When I beat a boss, I feel totally unsatisfied. I feel like I was conned into wasting too much of my free time. The game appears to take pride on how much it can waste your time.

    Don't buy this game. If it was free, don't download it. You won't get back the lost time. There are hundreds of better games to get over this one.    … Expand
  11. shirekerling
    May 4, 2020
    0
    Honestly, I tried for about 10 hours to pass the first 10 minutes of the game and couldn't. Literally, I couldn't advance more than 10 minutes into the game.

    I understand that the point of this game is to be hard, and I appreciate a challenge. I've played most other games (Witcher 3, Horizon, GOW, AC, even DOS 2) on the hardest difficulty, in my honest opinion, this one is something out    Honestly, I tried for about 10 hours to pass the first 10 minutes of the game and couldn't. Literally, I couldn't advance more than 10 minutes into the game.

    I understand that the point of this game is to be hard, and I appreciate a challenge. I've played most other games (Witcher 3, Horizon, GOW, AC, even DOS 2) on the hardest difficulty, in my honest opinion, this one is something out of nightmares and unfortunately, not in a good way.

    "Give Me God Of War" is super challenging and gets you to die super often, the devilish smart Divinity Original Sןמ 2 NPCs are a hell of a challenge. Horizon Zero Dawn on Ultra Hard makes you sweat on the couch. But Nioh2? this is no challenge. This is a waste of money.

    This game should have an easier difficulty for people who aren't souls game freaks. I've never thought I'd write such a thing on someone's hard work, but when your audience spends full price on a game they can't play, you get reviews like this one.    … Expand
  12. tophatman
    Mar 28, 2020
    1
    terrible game don't play.
    Combat system is **** enemies and bosses are completly broken and unfair, story is **** if you want a good game play Dark Soul instead
  13. PicklRick
    May 15, 2020
    0
    I loved Sekiro, dark souls and bloodborne but this game is just missing the joy in advancement. What really remains is just simple no-fun grinding. It like mowning the lawn you kinda happy that it's done, but had no fun getting it done.
  14. gcs202
    May 20, 2020
    0
    Terrible game. Bosses that have unavoidable combos that one hit even levelled up characters are just badly designed. A lot of reviews mention need for patience and being prepared to try again and again against bosses. This would be fair enough if that processes was about learning move sets and strategy (like soulborne games or sekiro). Here though, in far too many boss fights, it is simplyTerrible game. Bosses that have unavoidable combos that one hit even levelled up characters are just badly designed. A lot of reviews mention need for patience and being prepared to try again and again against bosses. This would be fair enough if that processes was about learning move sets and strategy (like soulborne games or sekiro). Here though, in far too many boss fights, it is simply waiting for the lucky run where you are not caught by unstoppable/unavoidable combos. That is just lazy game design. There are so many better games in this genre - don't waste your time and money.… Expand
  15. joshwkl
    Mar 18, 2020
    0
    Reusing many resources from Nioh, and the difficulty increased significantly compared to Nioh. Not worth buying.
  16. stabbyman
    Mar 22, 2020
    0
    I really wanted to like this game but for all it's improvements on the first game and it's genunily really cool aspects it doesn't change what an absolute chore it is if you ever get stuck at all. Look forward to spending ages farming elixers because the kodama bazar won't let you stock your warehouse for some reason, look forward to bosses with next to no room for error because they willI really wanted to like this game but for all it's improvements on the first game and it's genunily really cool aspects it doesn't change what an absolute chore it is if you ever get stuck at all. Look forward to spending ages farming elixers because the kodama bazar won't let you stock your warehouse for some reason, look forward to bosses with next to no room for error because they will lock you into combos that will deplete your health in its entirety and most egregiously of all, look forward to losing because the game just didn't do what you told it to… Expand
  17. Felix34
    Apr 18, 2020
    0
    Not a good game. It is not dark souls 3....dont buy it, unless you want to waste your time
  18. MizoNozo
    May 3, 2020
    4
    This feels like an attempt to create an even more difficult game than Nioh without actually trying to make the game harder. Most of the difficulty here comes from exponential damage scaling and terrible enemy balance. Instant attacks and infinite tracking are very common amd most enemy encounters have at least one often two or three ranged enemies to harass you. Bosses are unfortunatelyThis feels like an attempt to create an even more difficult game than Nioh without actually trying to make the game harder. Most of the difficulty here comes from exponential damage scaling and terrible enemy balance. Instant attacks and infinite tracking are very common amd most enemy encounters have at least one often two or three ranged enemies to harass you. Bosses are unfortunately very easy in most cases, only made difficult due to their massive hp pools and ridiculous stamina bars. The few difficult bosses are usually very fast, with massive range and give few opportunities to burst counter. Some of these even regenerate stamina like you making life even harder. In many ways this feels like a dark souls 2 style of game design that plagues games of this ilk. There's very little fun to be had here and you will likely take dozens of breaks from the game before finishing it. It is easily my least favorite game of 2020.… Expand
  19. Projectsergio
    Mar 16, 2020
    1
    It's the same game as Nioh 1. No innovation at all. Same gameplay, sound, menu... Not worthy
  20. Ghoster
    May 10, 2020
    4
    After first Nioh was pure 10/10 they broke everything possible. Repetative bosses, levels and bosses copy/paste from Nioh 1, annoying "sudden death" boss moves at the end of the fight. Story behind this game does have no any sense and characters apear and die wihout having any impact to the story. Platinm cleanup was annoying with ENDLESS side missions. They should never make this 2nd game!
  21. finmat92
    Jul 17, 2020
    1
    Nioh's DLC sold for 60/70 bucks. Boring, same graphic, same gameplay. What do you expect?
  22. Txamin
    Jun 8, 2020
    4
    Way too difficult and frustrating to be enjoyable, this is not difficult in the 'Dark Souls' sense. Very little innovation.
  23. bloody9
    Apr 9, 2020
    0
    Sadly nioh 1.5 remarks are warranted. I loved the first game but never enjoyed how the developers thought adding a ton of ranged enemies in the back of every fight was fun. Yes you can usually shoot them before engaging but theres usually another hidden away and if not it's still a chore. Nioh 2 amplifies this, and the only challenge comes from the same minion u fought a 100 times but inSadly nioh 1.5 remarks are warranted. I loved the first game but never enjoyed how the developers thought adding a ton of ranged enemies in the back of every fight was fun. Yes you can usually shoot them before engaging but theres usually another hidden away and if not it's still a chore. Nioh 2 amplifies this, and the only challenge comes from the same minion u fought a 100 times but in new circumstances of annoyingly placed other minions uve fought a thousand times. You'll probably die alot but it wont feel fair like Fromsoft games, it will just be an annoyance. the bosses were easy and mediocre. I thought nioh 1 had a ton of potential. great combat system etc. but I shouldve known after only a year and a half this wasnt worth supporting with a purchase… Expand
  24. Metalhead-
    Aug 5, 2020
    1
    Das Spiel wurde eindrucksvoll kaputt genervt. Alles was man mit Nioh 1 aufgebaut hat, machte man mit Nioh 2 zu nichte. Den Enera nerv habe ich ja noch hingenommen obwohl ich von 18.000 K Schaden auf 500 K gesenkt wurde. Nur dieses Mal mache ich mit meiner Waffe auch noch deutlich weniger Schaden.
  25. Duoraime
    Nov 29, 2020
    4
    Yeah, game is beautiful, has some new mechanics, but it's absolutely unplayable. Almost everything one shot you. It's not hardcore, it's stupidity
  26. Stoys
    Mar 17, 2020
    1
    im gonna give this game a 1. beucase the entire game is copy paste! and this game does not feel like a new game. it feels like a huge DLC for nioh 1.. except im missing endgame content!!!! i have finished the entire game on Dream of the samurai and dream of the strong the entire game is SHORT... and EASY!!!. and it suddenly stopped. there is no more difficulties left!!! in the menu itim gonna give this game a 1. beucase the entire game is copy paste! and this game does not feel like a new game. it feels like a huge DLC for nioh 1.. except im missing endgame content!!!! i have finished the entire game on Dream of the samurai and dream of the strong the entire game is SHORT... and EASY!!!. and it suddenly stopped. there is no more difficulties left!!! in the menu it says rarity 1-6 but 6 ( ethereal items) has not been added! there is soo much copy paste through the entire game that its disgusting. side missions and bosses have same mechanic. skeleton boss from nioh 1, snakes on the roof. so on and so forth!! the have implemented the same **** in this game! and when i buy i new game. i expect new stuff. thats why they could finish this game soo quick because its copy paste with different textures all over! same weapons and gear! ALOT of the same armor sets!! im super dissapointed!! when the made nioh 1. we had abyss and alot of difficulties at least. and now we have NOTHING!… Expand
  27. adelzamzami
    Mar 14, 2020
    0
    outdated garbage mechanics horrible game engine team ninja should get back to ninja gaiden or quit developing games that's it.
  28. Nobilis1984
    Mar 12, 2022
    1
    Far worse than part 1. The dodge here is just a joke. You're supposed to run towards an opponent and die.
    Part 1 still had a fair level of difficulty, but it was grossly overdone here. The first fight is not manageable as a beginner.
  29. madterps
    Jul 28, 2021
    3
    This game sucks major ass when it comes to control response time. You cannot change it either, especially if you mess up and cannot recover jn time to only see you die. No matter what level you get up to, you will never recover and gets punished for it. And the camera angles at boss time is horrible.
  30. Zai
    Nov 30, 2021
    2
    Gonna be totally honest... I think the only reason that this game gets passed off as "good because it's difficult" is because the devs genuinely have no idea what they're doing. The hardest boss in the game was in the first act, controls are still insanely janky, leaving much to be desired in terms of how most combos are completely useless, pigeonholing the possible builds into ratherGonna be totally honest... I think the only reason that this game gets passed off as "good because it's difficult" is because the devs genuinely have no idea what they're doing. The hardest boss in the game was in the first act, controls are still insanely janky, leaving much to be desired in terms of how most combos are completely useless, pigeonholing the possible builds into rather boring combinations of moves that only take a second or two. It lacks any meaningful mods on equipment such as ones that help you recover from being hit (I refuse to believe that I'm the only creature in the world who gets staggered for a solid 2 seconds after taking a blow from anything). The starting guardian spirits are absolute trash... overall just the same as the last game with no "new and exciting" aspect to it whatsoever.

    Spend your money on something better unless Dark Souls is the only thing you enjoy at all.    … Expand
  31. Orfeas1989
    Mar 16, 2020
    0
    After having spend endless hours at Nioh 1 and all soul games, i was expecting Nioh 2 with a lot of hype. However the result for me is bittersweet. The developers did improve some things like the mindless block abuse of the revenants at the first game, is finally fixed here, revenants do more things than just block abuse. The bosses and levels from an artistic point of view, are phenomenalAfter having spend endless hours at Nioh 1 and all soul games, i was expecting Nioh 2 with a lot of hype. However the result for me is bittersweet. The developers did improve some things like the mindless block abuse of the revenants at the first game, is finally fixed here, revenants do more things than just block abuse. The bosses and levels from an artistic point of view, are phenomenal (lot of recycled content from the first game but i can swallow that for the sake of content ). However..the game's combat system is deeply flawed and i wonder why no one talks about it. The rules that apply to you , dont apply to the world, and thats the definition of unfair, for example the revenants and the bosses at the dojo always have more reach than you and attack faster no matter what kind of weapon you/they use, they will always attack faster and outzone you. Also when you try to deplete their KI, for some reason when they reach 5% KI or something (red condition) they somehow manage to still be able to move and attack and get resistant to KI depletion (some times not always), that mechanic is not explained why it happens, plus its random and it can leado to thinking that 1 more hit will stagger them, but nope.it wont, just like that randomly and you get exposed and die and its not your fault. Also, they randomly get stagger resistant, but if you do use the very same attacks that they do, you wont get the same stagger resistance. That 'random' factor is killing the combat . Another minus are the instant grabs and the instant special attacks with literally 0 reaction time. Some of them are well developed and enable you to counter them if you are fast. Some others, you cant. The only thing you can do is get KOed or hope to survive with some hp and try to heal up after. You have 0 iframes which means you cant dodge throught an attack only side ways, maybe. You cant block pretty much every heavy boss combo ,because at 2 hits you are staggered and then your dead. Plus you are 1-2 hits and you die anyway So whats the point of HP bar? Why not just use hearts like super mario, 1-2 hearts, and what is the point of block if it leads to stagger and then death? Yes that was the same system at Nioh 1, but it was more douable, you could work around it, Here its way over its head. Still...i somehow love this game , but always with that bittersweet taste and the thought of ' how great that game would truly be, with some more testing at the core mechanics of combat'… Expand
  32. Nabeel99
    Mar 13, 2020
    1
    played the whole soulsborne series , those games are what you call actually difficult and challenging games unlike nioh 2 which is an unbalanced and unfair piece of trash.
  33. shiftyman
    Mar 14, 2020
    0
    It’s almost a complete copy and paste of the original with a few new twerks. Almost everything is the same, from menus to music, couldn’t even create new looking shrines. And once again the cancerous reviewers and YouTubers make comparisons with Dark Souls, what a sad joke. Nioh 1 had a solid story, with a likeable original protagonist, set in one of the most infamous eras in history, withIt’s almost a complete copy and paste of the original with a few new twerks. Almost everything is the same, from menus to music, couldn’t even create new looking shrines. And once again the cancerous reviewers and YouTubers make comparisons with Dark Souls, what a sad joke. Nioh 1 had a solid story, with a likeable original protagonist, set in one of the most infamous eras in history, with solid npc’s. Nioh 2 has none of that. Instead, Team Ninja opted for the cheap lazy character creation trash. To keep the 1% happy. Plus they raised the difficulty level up to add a few more hours of gameplay. It’s absolute unbalanced pure trash. I played the first 2 main missions and 2 side missions and deleted it from my system, will be getting a full refund Monday. Wait for a sale of this and maybe a few patches to balance the combat. $20 is the most this will ever be worth seeming it’s Nioh 1.5.… Expand
  34. Pch1221
    Mar 13, 2020
    1
    There is nothing enjoyable about a game that kills you over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again. Only to die over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again.

    You feel no power in your weapons, the enemies have infinite life bars that are not clear. Even the    There is nothing enjoyable about a game that kills you over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again. Only to die over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again.

    You feel no power in your weapons, the enemies have infinite life bars that are not clear. Even the supposed shifting power is underwhelming how much life vs KI they have.    … Expand
  35. lucasman85
    May 21, 2020
    4
    the fast nioh had a lot of faults but they could have all been improved upon in the sequel. Unfortunately the developers didn't try here. Cheap deaths every where. Horrible enemy placement that exists just to kill you. Lazy recycled bosses and stages. Incoherent upgrade syste that doesn't improve your armor or stats. This game is the definition of artificial difficulty. Any game is hardthe fast nioh had a lot of faults but they could have all been improved upon in the sequel. Unfortunately the developers didn't try here. Cheap deaths every where. Horrible enemy placement that exists just to kill you. Lazy recycled bosses and stages. Incoherent upgrade syste that doesn't improve your armor or stats. This game is the definition of artificial difficulty. Any game is hard when the bosses have hundreds of thousands of hp points while you only have10 percent of that and they can kill you in one or two hits. Didn't even bother finishing the game. Uninstaller and will trade in… Expand
  36. aaronjf94
    Mar 25, 2020
    1
    This game has janky animations, the mechanics are not precise which goes against what this type of game should require. It needs some fine tuning which is normal but its basically unplayable.
  37. HRR2
    May 21, 2020
    0
    I've played, and loved, a lot of tough games in this genre. Why? Because they offer a great challenge and, as frustrating as they have all been at times, you learn, you get better, you figure out a strategy and way to beat the boss.
    Unfortunately this game has taken a cheap and easy approach to ramping up difficulty by just giving many of the bosses ridiculous combos and moves that can't    I've played, and loved, a lot of tough games in this genre. Why? Because they offer a great challenge and, as frustrating as they have all been at times, you learn, you get better, you figure out a strategy and way to beat the boss.
    Unfortunately this game has taken a cheap and easy approach to ramping up difficulty by just giving many of the bosses ridiculous combos and moves that can't be blocked or avoided. Or, if you avoid the first onslaught, the boss (even with next to no stamina) can somehow chain power attacks. Meanwhile you have had all the stamina removed by blocking or dodging once and are left bent over panting and are then pancaked!
    As another reviewer pointed out, good games at least have a consistent set of mechanics applying to the player and the enemies. That is not the case here. Moves that whittle down most of the bosses stamina suddenly stop working on the last 5-10% and the boss then suddenly blocks your moves and immediately follows up by chaining three or 4 massive moves. When the player has 5-10% stamina he can hardly move and is one-hit killed by an attack with a limp lettuce leaf.
    With most bosses I felt I had them figured out pretty quickly but no matter how well i nailed he strategy (way, way) more often than not I ended up dead anyway.
    The weapon skill trees are also largely pointless - once you have a base set of moves there then just a pointless array of additional moves that rarely add any power or damage to your move set.
    The result of all this is an entirely unsatisfying game. Yes you can eventually beat each boss, but only through repeated rolling of the dice and stubborn refusal to give up. At some point though only one question remains - Why waste your time on this #$%&!
    Play Bloodborne (or Darksouls 1 or 3, or even Sekiro) instead. Hell, even if you've already played them, play them again rather than waste your energy on as badly designed and balanced game as Nioh2    … Expand
  38. OutlawTX
    Mar 8, 2021
    0
    As someone who has a platinum trophy for Nioh 1, every souls game and almost every other souls like game, I can easily say that this is the most annoying game I’ve ever played. A total and absolute waste of money. If I had the disk, I’d break it.
  39. Soleil83
    Nov 25, 2020
    4
    I loved the combat system of the original Nioh, but was frustrated by the overly punishing gameplay, convoluted rpg elements, bloated inventory system, and repetitive enemies and levels. I saw a game with potential that had too much holding it back. My hope was that the sequel would address these issues and bring the series closer to what it could be. In reality, it’s the exact same game.I loved the combat system of the original Nioh, but was frustrated by the overly punishing gameplay, convoluted rpg elements, bloated inventory system, and repetitive enemies and levels. I saw a game with potential that had too much holding it back. My hope was that the sequel would address these issues and bring the series closer to what it could be. In reality, it’s the exact same game. It looks the same, plays the same and has the same problems. It feels more like a long dlc than a sequel. There are new weapons and a few new mechanics (as if we needed more depth to an already overly deep combat system), but you could otherwise mix in Nioh 2 levels with Nioh levels and it would be impossible to tell which are which. People love these games, and I wish I understood why. To me they are repetitive, joyless slogs with a few well done elements that aren’t enough to redeem the whole. Not terrible, but there are too many games that do action rpg much better to make this worth your time.… Expand
  40. CzesiekzBaru
    Nov 20, 2020
    4
    Lol paying for playing NIOH 1 named NIOH 2 y call grate job.Not worth of paying,better spend money for Sekiro and you sure y get new game not NIOH 1 whit expand or some kind of patch.
  41. Iamthecell
    Mar 14, 2020
    0
    This game is WAY too hard for the casual gamer. The game looks and plays really good but the punishing difficulty is just too much to overlook. For someone who is not a professional gamer and had split second reflexes the game is just untouchable. You can be killed instantly by a single enemy without any warning whatsoever. Why can there not be a casual mode for people who don't want to beThis game is WAY too hard for the casual gamer. The game looks and plays really good but the punishing difficulty is just too much to overlook. For someone who is not a professional gamer and had split second reflexes the game is just untouchable. You can be killed instantly by a single enemy without any warning whatsoever. Why can there not be a casual mode for people who don't want to be punished for playing the game?… Expand
  42. vitorjunior77
    Mar 17, 2020
    0
    绝对可怕的游戏，不要买这个游戏，这是非常糟糕的­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­
  43. JuanJorgeperez
    Aug 26, 2020
    0
    Una mierda de juego mierda de graficos mierda de historia tiene bugs una basura.
  44. Hij45g
    Jul 14, 2020
    0
    This game is nothing new it brought nothing new to the table it was same as the first one
  45. cosguy91
    Mar 14, 2020
    0
    The game is completely unapproachable for someone who isn’t skilled in these kinds of games. For a casual gamer the game is simply too hard. A small enemy hitting you once will take out 50% of your health and sometimes you are killed in a single hit from a bigger enemy. Any and all mistakes you make are punished and when you die you have to retread so much ground and every enemy responds.The game is completely unapproachable for someone who isn’t skilled in these kinds of games. For a casual gamer the game is simply too hard. A small enemy hitting you once will take out 50% of your health and sometimes you are killed in a single hit from a bigger enemy. Any and all mistakes you make are punished and when you die you have to retread so much ground and every enemy responds. The game seems like it was given cheap tactics to amp up the difficult and the result is a game that is so hard it’s not fun.… Expand
  46. quake2th
    May 7, 2022
    4
    This game is garbage compared to the first one. Now it's as bad as a souls game. What a shameful end.

    If you liked and enjoyed the first Nioh, do not buy this piece of crap. Huge disappointment.
  47. Dramarama
    Nov 24, 2022
    0
    Totally ugly. this game is even worse than all souls likes combined. disgusting combat system. I don't feel the character at all, like he's made of paper. there is no feeling of weight. dull bosses who are easily passed after two attempts, because they use the same blows over and over again. only the sequence changes. the game is so unbalanced that ordinary enemies are more difficult thanTotally ugly. this game is even worse than all souls likes combined. disgusting combat system. I don't feel the character at all, like he's made of paper. there is no feeling of weight. dull bosses who are easily passed after two attempts, because they use the same blows over and over again. only the sequence changes. the game is so unbalanced that ordinary enemies are more difficult than bosses. some random bum with two axes will easily make mincemeat out of you in two strokes, while the boss will poke you for ages. all the locations are built on the same prnciple and after three or four passes of the levels it becomes terribly dull. for example, you are thrown out to the level, you run, killing enemies, open a short path that was closed at the beginning and go to the boss. that's it. and so it is at all levels. the character does not know how to jump (hello demon souls from 2009) and does not know how to parry. the same enemies will rape you again and again until blood flows from your eyes. separately, I want to say about pumping skills. there is no such useful skill in the game. they are all built on some absurd system of energy and sometimes, reading the description of the skill, you do not understand what you need to do to use it. how could this be done? what kind of disrespect to the players? why should I go online to read about skills and how to use them. in general, another dull clone of the dull sekiro, with a disgusting level design and a combat system where you can't even jump (hello 2009).… Expand
  48. Dwideshrude1
    Apr 26, 2022
    3
    Die in one hit no matter what = "balancing" lol learn how to design a game before designing one? Maybe? Im really far in the game and im fighting the same enemies as level 1 and still getting 1 shot. Its literally one of the worst games I've ever had the displeasure of experiening. Which is a shame, cus the combat is pretty decent with its cool combo system. But just awfully executed withDie in one hit no matter what = "balancing" lol learn how to design a game before designing one? Maybe? Im really far in the game and im fighting the same enemies as level 1 and still getting 1 shot. Its literally one of the worst games I've ever had the displeasure of experiening. Which is a shame, cus the combat is pretty decent with its cool combo system. But just awfully executed with everything that surrounds it. Just an absolute painful experience that is not fun. There is no balance or sense of progression (not to mention lack of proper story). Just really dissapointing feeling to get 1 shot at level 80 or whatever. Idk. Just really sad game design, feels maliciously diesigned badly on purpose at points.… Expand
  49. BoogalooWatts
    Apr 2, 2021
    1
    I wanted to like this game. But it's difficulty comes from the controls not responding in combat. I can play a difficult game, but not one where I have no control of my character. Press Lock-On 3 to 5 times before it works, press the item button 3 to 5 times before it works. Dodging enemy attacks?? Forget it. The worst part is the developers KNOW the controls have been an issue fromI wanted to like this game. But it's difficulty comes from the controls not responding in combat. I can play a difficult game, but not one where I have no control of my character. Press Lock-On 3 to 5 times before it works, press the item button 3 to 5 times before it works. Dodging enemy attacks?? Forget it. The worst part is the developers KNOW the controls have been an issue from day one and they won't do anything about it. That tells me that they're lazily hiding their lack of real creativity behind bad controls masquerading as game difficulty. The only reason it gets a 1 and not a 0 is because if the controls worked, I wouldn't have a problem with it.… Expand
  50. Moorn
    Jun 30, 2021
    2
    When you overtly repetitively copy someone else's outdated work, then it is for granted, that you will be constantly compared to your counterpart. So while Miyazaki, while working on basically the same thing, thinks about new creative ways to tell a story using environment, mechanics and character design, Team Ninja mindlessly fills levels with enemies to kill.
  51. Skydog
    Nov 30, 2022
    2
    Game has a lot wrong with it.
    Terrible camera angels, terrible graphics, and terrible boss designs and environments.
    This series has been known for this though and thankfully I got the game free otherwise I’d had returned it and used the money toward something else less of a mess
  52. FedorBondarchuk
    Jan 2, 2023
    0
    such a **** trash
    such a **** trash
    such a **** trash
    such a **** trash
    such a **** trash
    such a **** trash
    such a **** trash
    such a **** trash
  53. Timenick
    Nov 20, 2022
    3
    Once you learn the cluttered combat mechanics you realize its not worth it anyway. This is a Souls ripoff but without all the things that make Souls games actually fun and enjoyable.

    Huge enemy hp and damage is what makes this game difficult, nothing else. Even the guides I read after uninstalling this game after like 5 levels say all boss fights are "patience" fights that take way too    Once you learn the cluttered combat mechanics you realize its not worth it anyway. This is a Souls ripoff but without all the things that make Souls games actually fun and enjoyable.

    Huge enemy hp and damage is what makes this game difficult, nothing else. Even the guides I read after uninstalling this game after like 5 levels say all boss fights are "patience" fights that take way too long and one mistake can kill you. There are no advanced strategies to deal more damage, no build minmaxing, no risk versus reward mechanics, no specific weaknesses, nothing. Every boss is the same, you wobble around it for nearly ten minutes and chip down his gigantic health bar that is bigger than the Ancient Dragons one from DS2. Its super boring and frustrating.

    The randomized loot grinder system where you get every piece of equipment like 50 times but with slightly altered stats is completely destroying any exploration... or so would I say if this game would have exploration in the first place. Nioh 2 doesnt have an interconnected world or open world like Soulsborne or Elden Ring, its just levels from a level select screen. And you cant even exit them properly and try a different level or just go back to the "hub". Really Team Ninja? This is downright pathetic!

    They copied a series which is famous for their world design, especially Dark Souls 1 and Elden Ring are absolute masterpieces in that regard, and completely dismissed it. Nioh 2 gameplay is walking around in areas that look like they were made from background assets of DOA stages, with level design similar to Dark Souls but in the most basic and formulaic way. You kill the same few enemy types over and over again and click on every shiny thing that pops up hoping you find something with slightly better stats. If you miss anything it doesnt matter at all. And at the end you get stuck on the boss because they take forever to beat.

    Some people are claiming that Nioh has way more gameplay variety than Soulsborne but this is totally false. Those games have dozens, if not hundreds of weapons with unique move sets. In Nioh every weapon of the same class also has the same moveset. No variation whatsoever. And considering that you make your build for one specific weapon class your gameplay will be more or less the exact same for the whole playthrough. Just with a slightly different skin. Also there is no magic or pyromancy and bows are just gimmicks. There is just melee and nothing else.

    All of these problems were also present in Nioh 1. They have learned nothing. Yes there are some basic improvements like a character creator (the first game didnt even had that) and PS5 performance modes but overall this is still the same bad game that is way worse in every single point than all the Fromsoftware originals. 3/10    … Expand
  54. CottonyJohny
    Jan 2, 2023
    0
    nioh is garbage souls like ripp off that does everything worst
    -trash bosses
    -trash level design
    -trash plot
    -trash graphics
  55. CharlieDouler
    May 15, 2022
    4
    The movement and the combat in this game are as stiff as a brick. The environments are really, REALLY, ugly. I understand this game wants to set itself apart from Dark Souls, but it sure took a lot of inspiration from the series and it doesn't do a good job at all. The only real thing this game has going for itself is the how fast paced the combat is, but it's still really clunky and to meThe movement and the combat in this game are as stiff as a brick. The environments are really, REALLY, ugly. I understand this game wants to set itself apart from Dark Souls, but it sure took a lot of inspiration from the series and it doesn't do a good job at all. The only real thing this game has going for itself is the how fast paced the combat is, but it's still really clunky and to me doesn't feel fluid at all.… Expand
  56. nebirosity
    Dec 1, 2022
    0
    A total failure of game design. Enemies rarely provide an honest challenge and instead rely on arbitrary, overwhelming difficulty to extend the length of the title by forcing the player to grind to have even the barest chance of progressing. Incredible production value totally undercut by the game itself being borderline unplayable.
  57. Tomplexthis
    Nov 19, 2022
    4
    Theres a difference between Challenging balanced fun, and utter nonsense cheap bs.
    This game seems fine for a bit, but its not hard to be hard challenging.
    Its hard to be cheap, unfun garbage. i liked nioh 1, but nioh 2 just sucks.
  58. frisbi666
    Nov 2, 2022
    1
    You can remap every control except dodge, making this an inaccessible piece of garbage for anyone who prefers a different control scheme than the developers.
  59. DixonsRevange
    Jan 2, 2023
    0
    have these critics even played this game?!! just garbage that not worth attention. Bad parody of froms software games. Play elden ring instead
  60. niohisgarbage
    Jan 3, 2023
    0
    This game is real rubbish, so unfair, also looks like game for ps3, level design is ridiculous, developers lazy bastards, balance equals 0, I don't wat eat this ****
  61. FuvkGhayStation
    Sep 9, 2023
    0
    Never Played IT, but since PS people give Microsoft Excl. Games a 0 for Not Beeing on Ghaystation, im rating every Ps only Game 0. ❤️

Awards & Rankings

14
#14 Best PS4 Game of 2020
22
#22 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2020

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 91 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 84 out of 91
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 91
  3. Negative: 0 out of 91
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jul 23, 2020
    100
    The second Nioh is more than just a continuation of the legacy. The authors have been able to learn from the mistakes of the first game, and thanks to that this is an excellent action RPG that will not let you rest and you will want to keep playing. [Issue#303]
  2. GameCritics
    Jun 23, 2020
    85
    I love a great third-person actioner, and I’m hard-pressed to think of one that nails the formula as perfectly as Nioh 2 does. The systems are pleasantly crunchy and there are a ton to dig into, the moment-to-moment fights get my blood pumping, and the artwork and theming are all spot-on. Too much of a good thing is too much of a good thing, but Nioh 2 is exactly the right amount.
    Read full review
  3. Gaming Nexus
    Jun 1, 2020
    85
    Nioh 2 does what a good sequel should. It capitalizes on the best parts of its predecessors while providing new content and mechanics to advance the franchise. While the story structure and level design are largely the same, added weapons, more build depth, and new combat mechanics all enhance what the game has to offer. It doesn't always hit the mark perfectly, but it's a solid addition to the series. And let's face it, being a samurai is awesome.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »